Okay, this started out as my first attempt at making a savory green smoothie. (After 10 months of being raw, it’s shocking that I hadn’t had one before! Always just had green fruit smoothies.)
So my friend KJ had tweeted about a savory green smoothie she liked that had pear, tomato, cilantro, cumin, red bell pepper, and some greens (don’t remember which ones.)
I used that as my foundation & here’s the deliciousness that resulted…
I named the soup Green Buzz Soup because after having a bowl of it I’m in SUCH a good mood, have so much energy, and I’m seriously buzzing. It feels amazing. Like I could totally run a 5k and be feeling great afterward. (And I haven’t being running since April.)
I wrote the recipe down and then said to my mom (who had a few sips w/her regular vegetarian dinner and thought it was delish) “Oh I need to name this soup.”
She laughed because I was slip sliding my feet on the hardwood floor in excitement and said: Green Buzz!?
So Green Buzz Soup it is!
Green Buzz Soup
2 c water
1.5 c baby spinach (big handful)
1 med tomato
1 slice pear
1/2 med green bell pepper
1/2 c fresh cilantro (small handful)
2 heaping tsps of nutritional yeast (found in bulk bins at Whole Foods)
2 Tbs raw soaked cashews (at least for 5 hours – overnight is best)
2 pinches cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Himalayan sea salt & pepper to taste
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 cups
Blender notes:
+ If you have a VitaMix or BlendTec you know you can blend this all together no problem.
+ If you have a standard blender, blend in batches. Water & greens first. Then cashews. Then tomato, bell pepper, and pear. Then the yeast and spices.
Additional notes:
+ If you like heat, add a little sliver/wheel of jalapeno
+ For a creamier soup, add more soaked cashews.
+ I poured it in a bowl and ate it with a spoon. You could also pour it into a beautiful glass and drink it.
+ The green bell pepper really made this soup delicious. Loved how it mixed with the sweetness of the pear and the *whatever that is* of the cilantro.
+ I am so sold on savory green drinks now. Can’t wait to experiment more, find new recipes, and share more cool discoveries. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Lemme know if you give this recipe a try~
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Mona,
I took a raw foods course and it really ‘cleaned’ up my diet. I’m not 100% nor do I intend to be, but I love these smoothies and sticking close to PLANTS.
As Michael Pollan says the kind of diet that gets everyone in trouble is the one our country has adopted. We would do well to learn from immigrants to this country. When we get off this Western diet, our health improves rather dramatically!
Okay – you sealed the deal. I’ve gotta get into Michael Pollan’s books. My sister has read 2 of them and loved them. And now I keep hearing this quote from his new book Food Rules: “If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.”
I think it’s amazing how great the green smoothies can be…and so much easier sometimes than just chomping on a salad full of spinach leaves. Having more fun with my food than I have…well, maybe ever. Makes me happy.
And yeah, the more plants we can add to the Standard American Diet, the better. That’s why I was so excited last night to see Iron Chef America focus on using veggies from the White House garden as their “secret ingredient.” Also, I’m appreciative of Michelle Obama’s focus on food and health. Good stuff is going to come from that.